Back to Back
by Mrs.HHr
Summary: Watch the trails Harry and Hermione face as they fight back to back, always them against the world


_This story is Harry/Hermione of course with the occasional bashing of other characters. I _

_Chapter One_

_"Potter, I think you'd better come with me ..._

_Wondering how she could possibly suspect him this time, Harry saw Ron detach himself from the complaining crowd; he came running up to them as they set off toward the castle. To Harry's surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't object._

_"Yes, perhaps you'd better come, too, Weasley ..._

_Some of the students swarming around them were grumbling about the match being canceled; others looked worried. Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase. But they weren't taken to anybody's office this time._

_"This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack ... another double attack." Harry's insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and Ron entered. ._

_Madam Pomphrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair. Harry recognized her as the Ravenclaw they'd accidentally asked for directions to the Slytherin common room. And on the bed next to her was "Hermione!" Ron groaned._

_Hermione lay utterly still, her eyes open and glassy._

_"They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this. It was on the floor next to them..._

_She was holding up a small, circular mirror._

Harry and Ron shook their heads, both staring at Hermione, Harry was barely containing his growing anger and rage, meanwhile Ron was trying to conceal the smirk threatening to emerge on his face.  
><em><br>"I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case." (Taken from HP & CoS, chapter 14)_

"Professor may we have a few minutes with Hermione, please?" Harry pleaded, McGonagall almost denied his request but gave in upon gazing into his deep green eyes that glowed oddly. She nodded sternly and swept from the room to give them a few minutes alone, both Harry and Ron collapsed in the chairs beside Hermione's bed, Harry held her cold hand.

"How am I going to get my homework done without her, I'll be sure to fall behind and fail?" Ron moaned, Harry's head rose slowly until he was glaring at Ron, the glare put Snape to shame and Ron shrunk into his seat.

"Is that all Hermione is to you, something to help you with your work? Well, that's not the case with me! Hermione is my best friend and whatever harmed her is going to pay, this is personal now, if you stand in my way, well, I feel bad for you." Harry vowed fiercely.

Meanwhile, Ron was trying to backtrack, where was the meek and easily swayed boy of just yesterday? While Ron was lost in thought, Harry stared into Hermione's glassy eyes and kissed her cold cheek gently and whispered, "I swear Hermione, I'll get whatever hurt you, I'll protect you better from now on, this won't happen ever again." He said steely, he felt a piece of parchment in her hand and pulled it out silently, he read it and his eyes widened slightly, it was a ripped piece from the page in a book, the passage on the page told of the basilisk, and under it was the single word: **Pipes. **The pieces suddenly fell into place within Harry's mind, and though he had a new fear grip his insides, he had vowed to avenge Hermione though he knew she was alive, and he was going to kick that Basilisk's ass, though it didn't have one.

Harry stood up stiffly and stood tall; he gripped his wand tightly and started to walk toward the outside of the curtain.

"Harry, wait, I'm sorry what I said about Hermione I didn't mean it, come on let's go play chess." Ron offered hurriedly, Harry turned to face him and stared into Ron's blue eyes and asked, "Ron, do you really care about what happened to Hermione?" Ron spluttered and nodded his head, but Harry could see the insincerity in his eyes, Harry nodded to himself and continued to walk away, away from Hermione's still form, and away from the friendship he had consciously let go of.

Upon opening the door to leave the Hospital Wing, Harry passed McGonagall and they walked grimly to the Gryffindor common room, when they entered McGonagall called for silence but Harry kept walking up to his dorm. McGonagall stared after him and figured he was extremely upset about his friend being petrified and so let it go. As McGonagall made her announcements in the common room to the rest of the Gryffindor House, Harry stared at his bed area and thought quickly.

Harry only knew up to second year spells, he only had his wand, and he was up against an ancient basilisk, those were not very good odds but he would have to make do.

"Dobby," Harry called, instantly there was a pop and Dobby appeared in front of him, before the loony house-elf could work up his excitement, Harry continued.

"Dobby, I know you tried to protect me this year but this is very important. I need you to bring me something, anything that can help me defeat a basilisk." Harry said grimly, Dobby looked up at him with wide tearful eyes while shaking his head frantically.

"Dobby can't, he can't, Dobby can't allow Harry Potter sir to be hurt, he can't!" Dobby wailed, Harry quickly put a hand over the elf's mouth and shushed him.

"Dobby, this isn't just some small thing like pulling a prank, I am trying to save lives here, I need help and you're the only one that can get that help for me. Please Dobby, I need your help immediately." Harry said urgently, Dobby's head shaking slowed and he slumped.

"Dobby will help Harry Potter, he shall get help." And with that Dobby disappeared with a pop, as soon as he left Ron stumbled into the room and stared at him.

"Harry, my sister was taken into the chamber! We need to go help her now, come on!" Ron yelled. Harry just stared at him for a moment before replying.

"Ron, I understand that you care more for your sister that you do for Hermione, after all Ginny is your family, however how dare you ask me to save your sister when you don't even want to help me avenge the girl who is supposed to be your best friend!" Harry yelled, he was angry but a small part of him understood exactly how it was now. Depending on how Ron responded, this was where they would either split forever, or have an even stronger friendship, but now Harry was ready to accept the outcome he knew was coming.

"Why should I help avenge the mudblood?" Ron spat angrily, Harry's face cleared of all emotion though if you looked closely you could see his glowing green eyes darken until they were a dark emerald color, he looked dangerous, even someone as thick-headed as Ron could see that.

"Ron, this friendship is over, I'm going to avenge Hermione and you are going to stay here. Tell anyone and I promise you I will learn the cutting curse and cut your bits off before you even learn what they are for." Harry threatened calmly, his eyes were still dark as Harry pushed past Ron and went into the common room.

The common room was empty but Harry could hear a low buzz coming from the surrounding dorms so he figured that all the Lions were talking about the day's events. Harry took a deep breath before exiting the common room through the portrait hole, until he heard the fat lady speak to him.

"The professor says no one is allowed out into the corridors Potter, which also applies to you." She said, Harry turned around and stared into her painted eyes.

"Tell me Ms. Fat Lady, have you ever regretted not doing something for a friend when you had the chance to?" Harry asked, the fat lady's eyes gained a faraway look until she shook herself and looks down at him with a softened expression.

"Yes, Mr. Potter I have, so go but don't get caught and be safe." The fat lady replied, Harry nodded to her and hurried down the hall, sticking to the shadows. He passed Filch, Professor Sprout, and Professor McGonagall as they patrolled the halls but none of them noticed him in the shadows.

On his journey, Harry passed the defense room and slipped in quietly, the floor was occupied by boxes, some empty and some filled to the brim with objects. Harry ventured across the room until he came to the cracked door of Lockhart's office; he peeked in and saw Lockhart hurriedly throwing his things into the boxes.

'So the fraud finally met his match huh?' Harry thought, he looked disgustedly at Lockhart and shot a full body bind through the crack. It hit Lockhart who froze and fell on his face; Harry ran into the office and looked around. He picked up a piece of parchment and quill, on the parchment he wrote: _We'll need a new DADA teacher; this one was trying to bail. P.S. – He's a fraud._

Harry used a sticking charm and stuck it to Lockhart's back and grinned at his handy work before running back through the classroom and back into the hallway. He looked both ways before positioning himself in the shadows again and continued his previous journey of stealth.

He found that he had no specific destination in mind but his feet automatically lead him to Myrtle's bathroom on the second floor. He crept in slowly while still gripping his wand tightly, he saw no sign of Myrtle and looked into each stall but the bathroom was empty.  
>Harry inspected all of the walls and even the tiles on the floor but saw nothing that would hint at the entrance to a secret lair. Speaking of secret lairs, Harry had to wonder if Salazar Slytherin wasn't some kind of pedophile if he put the entrance to his hideout in a girls' bathroom.<p>

He found no clues until he inspected the taps on the sink and came to one that had a snake engraved into it, he turned the tap but found that it didn't work. Harry suddenly got an idea and imagined that the snake was real, he tried to say open but it came out as a hiss.

He heard a deep rumbling and suddenly the sinks that all faced in different directions slid apart and opened to reveal a dark hole in a large pipe. Harry looked at the rubble on the floor and picked up a nice sized chunk of broken floor and dropped it down the hole, he heard nothing for few seconds before he heard the chunk hit the bottom pipe and start to slide.

Harry briefly considered backing out until he got the image of a frozen Hermione in his mind, that steeled his resolve and Harry leapt straight into the hole. His arse hit the bottom of the pipe and he started down the huge and steep slide, the speed junkie in Harry wanted to scream and laugh but the warrior side of him pushed that down as he readied himself for anything.

After what seemed like hours but was probably on a few minutes, Harry came to the end of the pipe. He cautiously stepped out of it and heard a crunch; he looked down and saw that the floor was littered with the skeletons of many small creatures and one or two big ones.

Harry ignored that and crept forward until he saw a large shape in the corner of his eye, he instinctively raised his wand and faced it until he saw what it was. Harry almost passed out upon seeing the giant snake skin, but managed to control himself.

Harry took the snake skin as a warning to himself to be especially cautious from now on, he crept down a wide passage until he came to a vault-like door with snakes on it. He didn't need to imagine a snake this time and hissed open again, the snakes slid back as another snake slithered in a circle around them and then the vault door swung open and Harry entered the Chamber.

_Haha I'm almost sorry about the cliffhanger, but not really. Read and Review!_


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